HOUSTON -- The University of Houston Softball team shutout Memphis, 8-0 in five innings, to complete the American Athletic Conference series sweep on Sunday afternoon at Cougar Softball Stadium.

With the win, the Cougars close the regular season at 35-19 overall and 13-8 in The American, while the Tigers fall to 36-20 and 10-11.

With the series sweep and results around the league, the Cougars finish the regular season in second place. The runner-up finish ties last season's placing as the program's best finish as a member of The American, both coming under the direction of Head Coach Kristin Vesely.

In the circle, junior Savannah Heebner, who carried a no-hit bid into the fifth inning, tossed a one-hitter to improve to 24-8. The native of Sedalia, Colo., walked none and struck out three for her 12th shutout of the season, tying Angel Shamblin (2007) for the second-most all-time at Houston in a single season. Overall, the victory is the 48th of Heebner's career, tying her with Bailey Watts (2010-13) for second all-time in program history.

Freshman Tierrah Williams highlighted the offense with a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning as part of a 2-for-2 showing. In total, the native of Humble, Texas, finished with a career-high five RBI and one run scored along with one walk. The grand slam was her second of the season and overall career. Williams recorded a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam in a 6-2 victory over Eastern Kentucky on March 17 at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Heebner joined Williams with a 2-for-2 effort, finishing with her team-leading fourth triple of the season in addition to a walk, two RBI and one run scored.

Prior to first pitch, senior left fielder Kaylin Crumpton was recognized in a special ceremony as part of "Senior Weekend" at Cougar Softball Stadium.

Junior catcher Brooke Vannoy made her 104th-consecutive start behind the plate dating back to Houston's 7-3 win over Boston College on Feb. 12, 2017, at Cougar Softball Stadium.

KEY INNINGS1st | With one out in the bottom of the first inning, Crumpton walked and Heebner and sophomore third baseman Sarah Queen both singled to load the bases, before Williams set what would be the tone of the game with a grand slam to center field in the next at bat.

2nd | Houston tacked on another run in the bottom of the second. With two outs, Crumpton singled through the right side of the infield. Heebner tripled her home one batter later for a 5-0 advantage.

4th | The Cougars tacked on three more run in the fourth on a bases-loaded walk, sacrifice fly from Queen and RBI single from Williams to close the game in run-rule fashion.

ON DECKHouston opens postseason play with The American Championship across May 10-12 at USF Softball Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Cougars, who enter as the No. 2 seed, will play No. 7 seed ECU on Thursday. First pitch is slated for 11:30 a.m. on The American Digital Network. For the Championship Central page, Click Here.

COUGAR SOFTBALL STADIUM UPGRADES
Thanks to a record year for the Diamond Club, Houston Softball announced the addition of an LED, Daktronics video board (completed) and indoor practice facility as major upgrades to Cougar Softball Stadium.

According to Daktronics, the new outfield video board is the sixth largest at an on-campus softball stadium in the country and the second largest in the state of Texas. The board, which sits just beyond the left-field wall, stands 29-feet-3.1-inches tall and measure 24-feet-4.0-inches wide with 576 square feet of space (24-feet by 24-feet) for live video, instant replays, statistics and scoring information, graphics and animations, and sponsor messages. The display features a 13HD pixel layout for crisp, clear imagery for a great view from every seat at the stadium.

The indoor facility, which will replace the current batting cage down the right-field line, will measure 70-feet by 80-feet. The 5,600-square-foot space will feature five batting cages, measuring 60-feet long by 15-feet wide each, with retractable nets for the space to be used in a variety of ways. The facility will have a synthetic turf floor and will be temperature controlled.

In total, the two capital projects represent $1.2 million in upgrades.

SHASTA PASS
The Houston Athletics Ticket Office is once again proud to offer the Shasta Pass for the 2017-18 season. For just $80, Cougar fans can purchase one Shasta Pass, which allows season-long general admission entrance to all Houston Volleyball, Soccer, Women's Basketball and Softball home games.

The Shasta Pass offers Houston fans a substantial saving as single-game tickets start at $5 for all four sports. To purchase a Shasta Pass, call 713-GO-COOGS or CLICK HERE.

JOIN DIAMOND CLUB
Fans can help support the Houston Softball program by joining the Diamond Club. To find out more information about the Diamond Club, visit UHCougars.com or call Cougar Pride at (713) 743-GoUH. For more information, CLICK HERE.